De Anza College Mural Restoration Project

The mural in the L-quad at De Anza College, Sublimnalities, symbolizes
why I went back to school and became a student senator. It contains
the struggles of history and a prophecy of the future. As a transfer
student and graduate of Berkeley with a BA in English, Sublimnalities
makes me feel connected to the struggles of the past that empower us as
people. The struggles that give us the ability and freedom to have a
multicultural community college like De Anza. It is a historical
reminder of the struggle for equality and multiculturalism fought for
by the civil rights movement, a physical reminder of De Anza’s
contribution to the fight for moral responsibility, and a beacon to the
values of a liberal education; values that exemplify the best of human
aspirations, marching together to bring peace through love and
compassion.

Today these values are being tested. Just as the mural
predicts, humanity is at an impasse. We have a choice. Honor our past
and the struggles which got us here, or embrace the computerized
darkness—leading to the destruction of our beloved California and the
alienation of individuals caught in a computerized maze, with no
feeling, compassion, or human contact. This mural is so important
because it shows us the best part of our shared American history,
fighting for justice and equality. Its creation was a courageous
statement that De Anza, its students, faculty, and administration stand
together with all of those faces of the past that have fought and
marched for a better world.

Its restoration and preservation connects
this generation with those great generations that fought for our
freedoms by renewing a commitment to excellence that does not stand for
tyranny or oppression, but empowers people to fight for what is right
and good despite the sacrifices of the struggle. So let us remember in
the coming years as the mural is born again that the price we pay now
to restore a great piece of art will be repaid for many years to come
as countless students are enlightened and learn from this great piece
of De Anza’s history.

Freedom is a great responsibility. It always comes with a price. This
mural shows us how high that price can be. It is a moment in the great
struggle between the education of free people and the education of
slaves. It shows us the sacrifices of people who became themselves
when they cared for others. People united together who have been
instrumental in the moral and ethical struggle for rights and liberty.
It reminds us that we are living in a constant battle between right and
wrong; and if we ignore our place in this fight our learning
institutions, indeed our entire planet will be subject to the same
physical decay this mural has seen.

The mural’s prophecy is a reminder that we are in danger of becoming
disconnected from each other, ignoring our shared past at great peril.
This is the history we share. The Watts riots, segregation,
unionization, scientific advancements, and a time of great strife and
hardships. The civil rights movement fought the tyranny and oppression
in American institutions. This led to a time of plenty and abundant
resources. This luxury of abundant food freed us from the fields and
enabled great scientific advancements.

Scientific achievement, the
discovery of DNA, and the invention of the internet have given us
invaluable tools to help us understand our world—but these tools are
dividing us. The internet, hand held computers and phones meant to
connect us to each other have distracted us from the world we live in,
alienating us from each other, showing us an ever more detached and
mediated version of ourselves, melting into the couch, absorbed by
television. Alienated from each other and from the land we live on we
have carved the world with roads, and destroyed the natural world we
need to survive. Our mother earth is sick. We are not killing the
planet, we are killing ourselves.

This is De Anza’s legacy to the world. It is disintegrating before our
eyes. Preserving this painting is paramount to passing this invaluable
teaching tool on to future generations. We must follow the examples of
the great leaders depicted in this mural. They’ve shown us there is no
freedom without responsibility, and it is our responsibility to save
their history for future generations. Their history is our legacy and
it must be preserved.